Gush Katif (Katif
Block) is the Hebrew name of a cluster of 21 Israeli
settlements, located in the heart of Gaza
Strip – a Palestinian
area which lies along the Mediterranean seashore between the southern part of Israel and Egypt. The strip is about 40
kilometers long and 11 kilometers wide. Gush Katif was built as part of a plan to cut and isolate the Palestinians in Gaza strip from the Egyptian territory of Sinai Peninsula by inserting five extenctions of Israeli settlements among the Palestinian towns and villages. The first few settlements were built in the northern part of Gaza Strip at 1970 but the major breakthrough took place after the rise to power of the right-wing Likud party at 1977. As a result of the peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt at 1978, the Sinai Peninsula was given back to Egypt at 1982 causing the evacuation and total destruction of the most southern block of settlements – Yamit area. This however did not affect the rest of the Israeli settlements at Gush Katif, which only grew bigger.
Gush Katif includes 21 settlements containing about 8000 people (50% percent of them are below 18 years old), which live in a 40
square kilometers area (50 square meters per person). The agricultural settlers of the Gush are very successful at growing up organic herbs and various kinds of flowers. More them 1.5 million! Palestinians are living around them in an area of 360 square kilometers (0.24 square meters per person), thus forming the densest region of the world.
According to the Israeli
government decision from 2004, the whole Gush Katif block is going to be evacuated from Israeli presence – military and civilian as well – by the end of 2005. The implementation of this disengagement plan is causing a substantial internal conflict within the Israeli society.
Published: August 08, 2005
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